president vladimir putin says america's poor human rights record means it can't lecture others as moscow responds to washington's decision to sanction russian diplomats. new dramatic leaks over the edge of a political career during the sun just set to outline his plans in a christmas address on the safety and could those in london embassy. and time magazine names barack obama person of the year for a second time the critics say the u.s. president needs to take stronger action issues such as gun control.

in moscow this is he thought he meant putin has slammed america's human rights record citing indefinite detention and sanctioned torture in overseas prisons while speaking to journalists the president also defended moscow's response to washington's decision to sanction russian officials. hope is going off listen to what president putin had to say. the president slammed the monied ski act passed recently by america lawmakers saying that it's a continuation of a series of anti russian laws like the jackson then a guy act which was abolished recently and putin says that the us as a country which is still uses prisons like i will agree with one time aware of the violations of human rights happened on a daily basis has no rights to criticize the human rights situation in russia. our us partners and their lawmakers say they are concerned about human rights in our

prisons that's fine of course but there are plenty of issues they have themselves abu ghraib and guantanamo where for years people have been detained without charge it's inconceivable prisoners walk around in chains like in the middle ages they've legalized torture inside their own country if something like that happened here it would cause an international outcry and you put it all remains quiet in the us we've heard plenty of promises to close guantanamo but it's still there it's still operating maybe there is still torture going on there secret cia prisons has anyone been brought to account and they're pointing at our problems well thank you we're aware of that making this the ground for passing anti russian laws it's something absurd and we have a no way provoked such action but russia lawmakers are currently working on what

they say will be a proportionate response to the money's good act and part of the plan is to introduce a ban for americans to adopt russian children. this has been causing quite a lot of debate in russia and the president has commented on that saying that adoption and the problem with it is that it's not even the cases of abuse of russian children adopted by american foster parents of but the lack of a proper legal reaction from american authorities to prevent them from reoccurring including the lack of serious punishment. in light of the antigovernment protests which have been continuing for around a year now the president was also asked a question implying that he's managed to build an author retain a regime in the country during his time in power let's listen to the president's reply. i believe that we've provided stability which is the perec was it for the development of our country i believe it's a very important thing but i wouldn't call it authoritarian i can't agree with such

an opinion but the most prominent example that proves my point was my decision to take to the sidelines after two terms as president if i thought that to toward terry and or authoritarian systems would be the most preferable for our country i just changed the constitution another issue touched upon at the conference was russia's stance on the carpet in syria the president stressed once again that moscow does not support president assad's regime but it also doesn't want to see syria drown in care us in a civil war for the next two years you know which it says it's only up to the syrian people to decide what sort of a political future they want and we want to see in control of their country you know we are not concerned about the faith of assad's regime we understand what's going on there the family has been in power for forty years and i'm doubt atlee there's demand for change but we're concerned about what happens next in the

country we just don't want ongoing strife between today's opposition if it takes power and the current government if they become the opposition this can't go on forever now on a lighter note putin has also denied speculation that he's been experiencing some problems with his health and has also answered a question which is bothering millions of people right now about the end of the world well the russian president says he knows when the world will end according to him that will happen in a few billion years one of the sun stop shining. these are some of the more serious and less serious if you started upon the conference which lasted around four and a half hours continuing the president's tradition of these extended. and included over twelve hundred journalists from different parts of russia and from abroad. and he is now the man on the front line of information battle wiki leaks editor during the sun is to give a christmas address deliver his speech from the balcony of the ecuadorian embassy

in london where he's been ensconced for six months now after being granted political asylum there well as much anticipation as to what assad will say he is there smith reports now on possible topics for his address. later on thursday julian assange is doing something which is usually reserved for heads of state queens the pope people like that he's giving a christmas message from the balcony of the ecuadorian embassy where he's been holed up for the last six months and in fact this speech will mark his six month anniversary inside the ecuadorian embassy now the last time julian assange appeared in public it was back in august and he'd organize a kind of a rally around the embassy so speeches by politicians and other supporters as a kind of a carnival atmosphere with balloons and all that kind of thing and then he came on and made his speech and he made a couple of important points one of which was to urge the u.s.

to end what he called the witch hunt against wiki leaks and he also called for the release of bradley manning who is of course being held. on trial in the u.s. accused of leaking classified documents to wiki leaks so those are two things that he may mention again when he talks later on thursday he also may talk about his most recent bids to run for the senate in the two thousand and thirteen australian federal elections he's made that announcement and he's said that wiki leaks is setting up a political party for which plans are significantly advanced and they have received significant support from notable australians he says that that party is designed to promote openness in government and politics and also to combat growing intrusions on individual privacy so one of the things i learnt during the interview that he gave me a couple of weeks ago was that julian assad is increasingly on willing to talk

about his personal situation he prefers to stick to the wider issues and so that is why one of the things he may talk about would be the continuing blockade of wiki leaks by a visa master card and pay pal that's a case that's ongoing at the moment and also a possible further leak that he mentioned to me they're talking about leaking more documents in the new year watch this space he said. well the battle for transparency has long been a struggle for wiki leaks we're only getting investigation in the u.s. on the block on donations by credit card companies but a spokesperson for the whistle blowing web site kristinn hrafnsson told r.t. the fight will continue. well we know about the ongoing. investigation and the secret grand jury you know sundry and their junior there is. an ongoing attempt to find an angle to bring charges against julian and possibly all those working for we

can use as a very serious matter of course very shameful for the obama administration not to stop that for the man who was right even taken four years ago to increase transparency and what we have seen is totally the opposite which hunter against whistleblowers. has known first verse in history will continue to work as we have done despite the difficult situation that you has been in in the ecuador embassy you know for six months but probably it was your house arrest that hasn't stopped us we have continued to work. the economic blockade has not stopped us either even though we are getting into a dire situation financially but that's a battle that we have decided to were torn into well all out war and until we have a victory there as well in the new year. coming up israel the north calls from western powers by pressing ahead with plans to build more settlements in occupied territory we'll examine how to define construction plans in the west bank later in

the program. and the new greece to hold a referendum on breaking away from spain despite madrid the balance to stop the region from go it alone that's all after the break. the stunning beauty of reindeer gracefully dancing across the arctic tundra more than just a female image it is a way of life for sun traditionally the nets people are nomadic reindeer herders and though in many ways they lead a simple and rustic life they are also highly skilled and organized in their training. another weekend will be preparing for. a response this summer is depending on. the day we found this particularly camp they were settled near the coast of the ta to see here for families work together

to manage nearly a thousand reindeer herding reindeer is not just a job for the people in fact they say it's a part of their entire culture heritage and way of life and they say that they can use almost every single part of the reindeer to help them survive. the deer is a means of transportation granlund equipment and clothes for the outside and. the life in the tundra is harsh and so before winter hits many of the children are helicoptered to the center of the district and not even for boarding school. students learn different languages utilize modern technologies through specialized grant programs and even more arts skills all within a protected environment the school was founded. a scientist who wanted a better way of life for his people but even with the most progressive ideas and education many say they don't want to trade the modern life for their beloved.

i have returned to the tundra and i actually like it here if you're outside there's fresh air fresh water looks at the site you can see deer it's a joyful sight. it's a sentiment that hopefully ensures that russia's northern reindeer will have caretakers for generations to come. welcome back you're watching a. holocaust due to walk free from prison earlier than expected moscow court has cut the jail time for the former tycoon and his business partner but only limited if they've been serving time for oil a theft and money laundering he's lucy kavanagh for forty. the present terms for

the two. were reduced to a change in russia's prison penal code sensually there's hundreds of thousands of russian businessmen are believed to be serving behind bars for various financial crimes as a result of the russian government have decided to soften somewhat its penal code when it comes to those financial crimes of course this case is no ordinary one it's one of the most high profile cases in recent years in russia back in early two thousand the government had accused the two former yukos oil partners of tax evasion yukos was then the largest oil firm in the country it went bankrupt its assets were taken over by rough snapped and this has prompted many in the west to. accuse the country of a politically motivated case these are charges that moscow of course denies now before the two men had finished serving their sentences in two thousand and ten a moscow court had given them fresh prison charges this time over accusations of money laundering as well as the charge of stealing more than thirty billion u.s.

dollars worth of oil despite this has become somewhat of a poster boy for the russian opposition which says that his continued imprisonment is evidence of the russian state's control over the judiciary despite all this of course that the thursday appeal hearing the court had ruled that the men will be able to walk free by two thousand and fourteen lebedeff will be able to go around august and is expected to be released by october the u.n. security council is demanding that these rule. people out of the west bank and east jerusalem immediately the move to build housing in palestinian lands is seen as illegal on the international bill was really media however all reporting that more than three thousand extra homes have been approved in addition to the several thousand given the go ahead earlier this month. israeli officials say that they're pressing on with plans to build six thousand new homes this defies criticism from western powers who fear that the move will hamper an already famed

hopes for a peace deal between israelis and palestinians here remember that it was just last month after the the fact a recognition of palestinian sovereignty at the united nations that israel made its new announcement in terms of settlement building it said that it would expand settlements in the occupied west bank as well as in east jerusalem and at that time there was international and quiet the point needs to be made is that israel continues to build in i said defiance of international law and as well as of united nations resolution critics are pointing out that is also assertiveness with settlements is part of the reason why it's becoming increasingly isolated by its was felt partners primarily in europe but that's not to say that washington is also not losing patience the united states has said that it is deeply disappointed by israeli construction plans in an unpredictable sharp reaction the obama

administration has softened the criticism of israel saying that these construction plans run counter to peace the point also needs to be made that next month january is or will be holding parliamentary elections which is why many are suggesting that these are nonsense by the prime minister netanyahu are a means of trying to garner up domestic support as well as change the reality on the ground one of the options that mr neosho and like minded people. creating a situation well by the number of certainly will be such a significant one that eventually the solution will be more or less let us get the big to the sixty seven borders and let the settlers remain there under the palestinian state rather than evacuate them to new areas which will be annexed to israel most of the international community see the settlement construction by tel aviv as illegal certainly the palestinians see it as a real obstacle to creating

a viable capital in east jerusalem the r.t. tel aviv u.k. has revealed the staggering cost of its involvement in the war in afghanistan more than seventeen billion pounds and as britain prepares to withdraw its troops the french secretary says the final price tag could be around twenty billion this as the country continues with domestic public spending cuts in an effort to reduce its budget deficit is pretty boy has the details. evanson billion pounds the british government has just revealed that that's been the cost of the so far eleven year war in afghanistan now it was a very deal that the same time as a clear timetable was announced for troop withdrawal from the region we're going to have u.k. troops slashed by about a half by the end of next year down to five thousand two hundred and then another large chunks of troops will be leaving by the end of twenty fourteen but it's those seventeen billion pounds that are being spent that have been spent on it for the

war on top of the existing defense budget which means the estimates for the final price tag for the afghan war might be something around twenty billion pounds and of course the u.k. is going to keep sending money to afghanistan after twenty fourteen they're going to be sending something like seventeen million pounds for aid towards the afghan national security forces after twenty fourteen and this is all at the same time as the government announcing prolonged austerity at home that's going to continue until at least twenty seven hundred twenty eighteen and the chancellor announcing that there's going to sleep extra welfare cuts and an extra ten billion pounds slashed from the welfare budget along with cuts in every single other government department now i'm joined by john hillery who is the executive director of antipoverty charity more on point seventeen billion pounds down the line about money have been better spent elsewhere you could hardly really think of any worse

way of spending the money as you say if you pointed out here in britain we're seeing enormous cuts to government spending and to the world for budgets about twenty five billion pounds in total which actually it's almost the same as being spent in the war in afghanistan but in afghanistan itself the impact of the war has been disastrous it's defense spending can be just after this is seventeen billion pounds over and above the existing british defense but you even before the last thirty program it was clear that over seventy percent of. in britain wanted the water be ended immediately or very very soon it's a completely unpopular war people in britain wanted the troops out people in afghanistan also want the troops out and now we're being faced with these massive cuts on top of that people are really angry about the fact that the waters continue what the british people want this to try to destroy the horrible legacy of invasion and occupation which they've lived with for the last thirty years now already the

defense secretary has said that parts of afghanistan won't be under government control and that means a lot more questions from the british taxpayers about the eleven years fighting the war and the twenty billion pound price tag or at. take a look at some other stories making headlines this hour syrian rebels claim they've made significant advances saying they've seized as many as six towns in the hammer region the opposition forces also say they've been liberated the palestinian refugee camp in damascus of the seizing it on monday meanwhile the u.n. has launched a huge humanitarian efforts by announcing one of the half a billion dollars aid package for refugees suffering from the twenty one month conflict. egypt's top prosecutor has retracted that monday's offer to resign as a country is up for sunday's second round of voting on the controversial constitution there was public discontent after which he sat for his predecessor his first

moves after what he saw was justice minister will now decide the prosecutor's fate interesting constitutionally opponents fearing the documentary's rushed will limit their rights by creating an islamist state. now there's been a mixed reaction over time magazine's decision to name barack obama personally the year for a second time the u.s. president again the award for becoming what they called the symbol and architect of the new america but the editors enthusiasm for the u.s. leader is not shared by all americans and he remain unconvinced by his actions including domestic matters such as gun control what is going to trigger can reports now. they're choosing president obama as the person of the year second time the first time they gave him the title right after the two thousand and eight election as to someone who had the most influence on global affairs although at that time he hadn't had the time to exercise all that influence but then president obama also

received the nobel peace prize in two thousand and nine ers shortly after his election although i guess at that point he hadn't made much peace in the world the award was seen as much more of an advance credit than and knowledge meant of actual achievements on the peace fronts later president obama went on to spend that credit sending more troops to afghanistan and carrying out regime change in libya under the arguable banner war for the sake of peace as far as his person of the year title critics argue president obama was time choice by default there shortlists this year also included the egyptian leader mohammed morsi and the pakistani girl malala yousafzai who was shot by the taliban for advocating for women's education president obama may be the person of the year for the time magazine but for advocates of gun control in the u.s. he still has to earn that title to president obama had a news conference where he was asked why no meaningful action has been taken on the

gun control in the last four years of his presidency although one of his campaign pledges was a ban on assault weapons he basically said he had lots of other things to do including waging two wars and quote it's not like i've been on vacation he said those in the u.s. who suffered in numerous incidents of god violence would probably not be satisfied with such an answer but the president pledged to finally take more active steps in the coming months he said the administration will come up with a more definitive proposal on gun control but people have heard those words before and nothing happened getting a semiautomatic weapon is not a problem in the u.s. adam lanza who killed twenty small children and. six adults at an elementary school last week fired from a semi-automatic bushmaster rifle it's a military style rifle a powerful weapon and its sales are on the rise in the u.s. in the last four years the market for such gardens grew thirty percent. while

staying stateside and you can still be detained and held without trial if you're a u.s. citizen as we report on r.t. dot com. washington lawmakers crucial amendments to the national defense authorization act which would have protected the rights of americans. and better late than never u.k. finally agrees to honor the british veterans convoy which carried crucial supplies to russia during world war two. plane says it has legal grounds and the power to prevent catalonia from holding a referendum on breaking away a south of the region's nationalist leaders agree to form a new process which is government and hold a public vote on going it alone. campaigning for european region independence says catalonia is ready to be a sovereign state. but it does come from the determination of civil society from a primitive to sense of course i don't know which from two thousand and nine to two

thousand and eleven shows that they decided they should buy out will organize a couple of referendum to hold policy personally i like more than five hundred the seat why they both yes because i learned that allow for a post if the scenario and allowed to tap debates about supplement nation and human rights universal rights you know cuts alone i told her aloud to explain to people about economical side and about all the benefits that i was i mean depth of the lonia they were better people so at this a scenario just created a verbalized opened majority of course that didn't fit the test the showing the last official results hold and i actually asked was the last elections was now in the parliament of bats alone yes we do have a majority or five members of the parliament which are four in that band and they are willing to call for the youth referendum. while i just ahead will be breaking

the set with abby martin stay with us for. flying north with me in this old soviet work or so the helicopter is dr van amir brodsky and his team from the region's medical aviation service we head across ever more barren tundra higher and higher into russia's arctic far north until eventually we see our landing spot with arrive at this tiny village after crossing hundreds of kilometers of snowy wilderness as a boy here suffering from fever and the doctors are going to see what they can do. inside a small building not one but two babies and their parents are waiting for us the doctors inspect them but can't make a diagnosis and decide to bring them to

a regional hospital for better care spread lana doesn't like taking her baby away from home but she's been before and agrees to go that's the usual practice with those who live in a two hundred they keep mothers with their newborns in hospital for a month. on the way back another stop to check on the health of some native minutes reindeer herders out in the tundra it can take many hours to reach the nearest village so a medical problem simply fixed here in the tent that i should think used to be but now we can go to civilized places so we call for emergency help. back at hospital other patients helped by the air ambulance and being treated the service costs fourteen million dollars a year to run and there's been controversy with some claiming that locals exaggerate or make up health problems and use the helicopters as a free taxi service accusations vladimir firmly dismisses your brother is not true

usually the calls are perfectly justified sometimes we reproach locals waiting too long before calling us he's been working as a doctor now for forty three years but let him is confident that even after he retires his helicopter doctors will remain a lifeline to the peoples of the russian far north. to live on one hundred thirty three bucks a month for food i should try it because you know how bad the less bad luck. i mean . i know that i'm still really messed up. in the very shop personally. attack. worst. white outfit of the day the radio guy and minister of a cricket topic. club are about to go because you've never seen anything like this

i'm cold. look up guys i'm having martin and this is breaking this set you know this morning started off really great when i saw this that's right obama time magazine's person of the your this is the first time he also took the title after winning the election in two thousand and eight but as bad as that already sounds the rationale behind it is even worse take a look at what time magazine's richard stengel had to say about why he was chosen. for democrats to actually win two consecutive terms with over fifty percent of the vote that's something we haven't seen since franklin delano roosevelt and he's basically the beneficiary of the offer of a kind of new america a new demographic a new cultural america.